"Super Mario 2 facts and hints - 2013"

Super Mario 2 (Golden Coins) is a very fun installment of the Mario Series that has it's own unique features compared to the other games.

Things that make the game fresh:

-Bunny ears are your source of flying instead of the usual tail or cape from other Mario games at the time. In fact the bunny ears are such a good weapon you can breeze through several otherwise challenging stages by perching upon the highest point and flying over.

-Coins do NOT count for lives.....at first I was pissed off at this but when you discover the coin depository area you realize why coins don't count for lives. Just collect 999 coins and go get the 99 live option. Keep playing the Tree area level one will help you gather coins quickly.

-Wario is the bad guy instead of King Koopa....there is no real advantage here but it adds to the unique aspect of this game.

-Unlike the previous Gameboy installment of Mario you are able to pick and choose which levels to complete first.

-You really have to go out of your way to find the hidden levels....they are well crafted.

DOWNSIDES to the game:

-It lacks in length. 32 total levels including the final castle leads to beating the game quickly. I think they could have included another "coin" to acquire which would result in another 4 or 5 more levels.

-A new copy of this game costs $300 at Amazon.com

-It could have used a few weapons from it's NES and SNES predecessors such as Yoshi or maybe a Hammer Brothers suit. Having just the fireflower and bunny ears is rather minimal compared to the big screen Mario games of the early 1990s.

-Many levels are rather easy to complete. The Pumpkin area provides a bit of challenge as does the Moon level but the other worlds are pretty easy to beat. The final castle (Wario) is a lengthly level though and Wario (the final boss) goes three sections deep (Regular Wario, Bunny Ear Wario and Fireflower Wario).

It is head and shoulders ahead of the first Gameboy Mario game (Super Mario Land) but could have used more treats for hardcore Mario gamers. Either way this game is HIGHLY recommended for fans of the Mario series and will not disappoint. Just don't expect perfection like Mario Brothers 3 on NES or Super Mario World on SNES.